Casa Bonita
After experiencing ultra chi-chi Snowmass and Aspen (where we also caught the excellent magician Doc Eason's show), we went to the other end of the spectrum with the legendary Casa Bonita, "The Most Exciting Restaurant in the World". Casa Bonita is a massive and eccentric mexican restaurant in the corner of a strip mall, which has even made it into an episode of South Park. It's mostly aimed at kids, but it's fun for anyone (at least once). It's a massive place, with a huge number of tables positioned on multiple levels around a pool and a cliff face.
A ledge built into the cliff face features shows at frequent intervals; most of the shows end with someone falling or diving into the water:
The controls for the show look like they must have been there since the restaurant opened:
They also had a pinjata for the kids, and a puppet theatre:
And, a tunnel with some scary stuff in it (the video is unedited--the show really stops like that):
An arcade, and a sort of grotto area for more private dining:
If you're in Denver, and are a fan of kitsch, or are there with your kids, it's worth a visit!